Author Topic: Front engine mount  (Read 1530 times)

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bsprowl

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Front engine mount
« on: January 13, 2025, 11:24:07 PM »
I am considering the use of a front engine mount.  I believe these were used on some heavy trucks.  Is this correct?  If so, what years?  Does anyone have one or a picture of one?

Thanks

frnkeore

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2025, 03:08:57 AM »
I'm using one on my AH but, I'm bolting direct to the frame in front and both sides of the BH to frame, same metal to metal at the rear trans mount cross member.

The factory HD FT mount uses the 2 bolt mount, with a rubber mount under it, then a single bolt to the frame from the rubber. They were used in the '64 (first year) untill the last year of the FT HD. The factory timing cover is cast iron and the mount bolts directly to it. In my arrangement, I made aluminum spacers to mount it.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2025, 03:15:25 AM by frnkeore »
Frank

TJ

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2025, 10:54:22 AM »
I believe FE's in 4wd pickups from the mid-'60s had the cast iron timing cover for front engine mounting.   Never had my hands on one though.

pbf777

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2025, 11:21:42 AM »
     Despite being somewhat popularly practiced, just do note that as generally executed, the aluminum timing cover, the few 5/16" bolts engaged, including those bolt mountings relevant in the front of the block, were not engineered to support this intention.   ;)

     Scott.

thatdarncat

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2025, 12:44:55 PM »
I am considering the use of a front engine mount.  I believe these were used on some heavy trucks.  Is this correct?  If so, what years?  Does anyone have one or a picture of one?

Thanks

Here’s a close up picture of the FT one, I haven’t researched the actual part number in the Ford Truck Parts MPC to see if there is more than one, or if they’re all the same, but they’re fairly common. Frank & TJ are right, there was a matching cast iron timing cover the FT & FE versions used, and this bracket bolts up flat to that. And Scott’s advice is good, you’ll have to decide if adapting it to the aluminum cover is a good idea, but people have done it. These are really heavy thick steel though.


Kevin Rolph

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1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
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MeanGene

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2025, 01:07:29 PM »
     Despite being somewhat popularly practiced, just do note that as generally executed, the aluminum timing cover, the few 5/16" bolts engaged, including those bolt mountings relevant in the front of the block, were not engineered to support this intention.   ;)

     Scott.

Apparently you have little or no experience with the truck or boat setups that were indeed engineered to support this intention. The medium truck FT setup had, as was mentioned, a cast iron cover that is flat to the front to accommodate the mount. There are also the boat setups such as Nicson, Glenwood, Holman Moody etc., which also sport a thickened flat front to accommodate the mounts. These covers easily connect with an engine plate or the quite strong boat mounts which usually have heavy section legs that extend down and can be trimmed to fit the chassis. BTW, the cover is attached by both 5/16" and 3/8" fasteners, both horizontally and vertically, and has proven to be a pretty sound structure for many years

bsprowl

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2025, 01:22:40 PM »
I'm building a gasser using a '70 Maverick chassis that has a straight axle as ran as an A/FX car.  It was certified at 8.5 seconds by NHRA using an unknown to me engine with aluminum block plates at the front and back.  All of the front mount stuff was gone went I got it; it is not a street car.
 
I was considering solid mounts. 

Does anyone have front mount bracket they will sell?

MeanGene

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2025, 02:51:37 PM »
The engine the car was built around, by a skillful veteran Top Fuel campaigner, was a blown Keith Black engine pulled from his previous Nostalgia Top Fuel car, which was disclosed and pictured in all For Sale ads. The car is very well built and very stout by an expert builder, and was certified to 8.50. The rear engine plate went with it, so it would be very easy to center and align the new engine to that, using the old plate as a template to center and line up a plate for an FE. The mounting tabs were still on the frame in the front, so it should be pretty easy to do the front using either a plate or a boat mount on a truck or boat front cover, once the engine is lined up by the rear plate. This car was very well set up by a veteran crew, so the less it is changed (IMHO) the better it will be. Hardest part would be the headers, the hard work has been done. I have been in the shop with this bunch while they completed the new car, the Fuel Altered that received the Keith Black engine, and went to Sacramento to watch them shake it down- good veteran Top Fuel crew that has worked together for many years- fun to watch them work

frnkeore

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2025, 06:10:42 PM »
I am considering the use of a front engine mount.  I believe these were used on some heavy trucks.  Is this correct?  If so, what years?  Does anyone have one or a picture of one?

Thanks

Here’s a close up picture of the FT one, I haven’t researched the actual part number in the Ford Truck Parts MPC to see if there is more than one, or if they’re all the same, but they’re fairly common. Frank & TJ are right, there was a matching cast iron timing cover the FT & FE versions used, and this bracket bolts up flat to that. And Scott’s advice is good, you’ll have to decide if adapting it to the aluminum cover is a good idea, but people have done it. These are really heavy thick steel though.



Yes, the 4 mounting holes on the mount, are 3/8 and the two lower holes, are for 7/16 bolts.

For reference, a single 3/8x16 grade 5 bolt has 5600 lb shear strength and a grade 8 has 7000. Times 4 =  22,400/28,000.

If you use the rear mounting plate and a front FT mount, you will be doing installation, similar to mine. It triangulates the chassis, as my drawing depicts but, the front structure, you attach it to, needs to be well supported.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2025, 06:22:03 PM by frnkeore »
Frank

MeanGene

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2025, 07:35:45 PM »
Nicson that still has its legs

pumpbldr

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2025, 09:05:13 PM »
Here is a picture of the Holman Moody Boat cover. I have used these many times. Very easy and very strong. Blue thunder makes a copy of this cover and can found

Doug aka pumpbldr
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bsprowl

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2025, 10:35:17 PM »
I was going to use Jay's front cover which allows for easy cam changes.

The one with the long legs would move the engine too high.  As built the crank center line is about 18 inches off the ground. 

MeanGene

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2025, 11:59:14 PM »
The one with the long legs would move the engine too high.  As built the crank center line is about 18 inches off the ground.

"the quite strong boat mounts which usually have heavy section legs that extend down and can be trimmed to fit the chassis"
Don't over-think it

jayb

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2025, 09:25:32 AM »
Bob, the 5 additional mounting holes on my front covers are reinforced for strength; I know of at least a couple guys who have used those to attach to a motor plate.  You might be able to fabricate some brackets that attach to those holes and go straight down to accomplish the same thing as that front mounting plate.  Also, my timing covers are a lot heavier than the factory FE timing covers, so I don't think strength would be an issue like it could be with a factory aluminum timing cover - Jay
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

MeanGene

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2025, 11:24:10 AM »
Here is a picture of the Holman Moody Boat cover. I have used these many times. Very easy and very strong. Blue thunder makes a copy of this cover and can found

Doug aka pumpbldr
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Aren't they purty? I have one of those, a couple Nicsons and a Glenwood, and they are all designed to be part of the mount system and solidly built. The Nicson and Glenwood designs have the legs extending down for boat use, and can be trimmed to fit a chassis as needed, or cut completely off- they also have a flange for mounting a boat water pump, driven by and concentric to the cam, which can be adapted to drive a mechanical fuel pump. The HM cover that I have was last used on a 505 ci High Riser with Hilborns on a 58mm Weber intake

Dumpling

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2025, 11:02:19 PM »
Anyone have pictures of the Blue Thunder covers? Is the boat version truly just a copy of the HM cover; is the one with the removable cam cover just Jay's cover; the show quality one just polished?

Does Blue Thunder put a logo or name on the covers they sell?

https://bluethunderauto.com/product-category/timing-chain-covers/
« Last Edit: January 16, 2025, 11:05:10 PM by Dumpling »

bsprowl

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Re: Front engine mount
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2025, 11:26:04 AM »
I'll b using Jay's front cover which has enough differences that the factory mounts and probably the other mounts that they aren't useable.

I'll try to remember to post pictures when its installed. 

Thanks to everyone for the help.